Cyclist down in Camps Bay

[Icycling]

The motorist may cross the solid line if it safe...if not then he is to blame...he should have waited till it was safe....I don't see how PPA is to blame. ....it's our motorists with their sh×tty attitude.

I agree - but you allowing discretion by the motorist - is it safe / have I judge the cyclist speed properly / how much time do I have for the procedure etc . In the past it was; you may not cross the solid medium line! PPA allowed that to be changed for a 1meter rule - that's my issue! I brought this to the attention of PPA directly after they forwarded myself the new Gov Gazette - it is an accident waiting to happen - but how many time?

Edited February 17, 2015 by Icycling

[urbanroyal]

I hear you ...but that can be applied to every overtaking situation....should I pass this car ..the law allows me ..but there is approaching traffic ...how fast are they travelling...etc...and if I make a wrong decision ...then who's to blame...ME...and nobody else.

[Pure Savage]

After reading the news24 article, and seeing what has happened over the past few months. Cyclists are normally knocked when they are on there own. As soon as you are in a large group there are far fewer accidents.

 

As pointed out above by iCycling, you cannot expect the driver to employ common sense when it is safe to overtake.

 

The problems all occur when the driver wants to just "squeeze" past, this very rarely happens when there is a large group. (Maybe they are scared of a certain cycling club attacking them with their front wheels!)

 

Stay safe, pack your lights and make sure the cars are aware of you on the road.

[Icycling]

I hear you ...but that can be applied to every overtaking situation....should I pass this car ..the law allows me ..but there is approaching traffic ...how fast are they travelling...etc...and if I make a wrong decision ...then who's to blame...ME...and nobody else.

The problem is brining in a new set of discretionary rule for certain type of road users / vehicles. Are SA citizens relay that focused when driving / that intelligent - now to have more that 1 set of rules? The rule should never have been allow as a concession for over taking cyclist that it is OK to do it on a solid barrier line - changing that law will see so many more fatalities compared to live saved by the 1m law. The worst part about this is I have already pointed it out to PPA!

 

Please don’t think I live in a box and think motorist ever considered not overtaking a cyclist on a solid barrier line - but I can assure you as a cyclist their have been several times when a motorist has got impatient with me trying to overtake on a narrower road and a solid barrier line and all I have done is pointed at that barrier line and 9 times out of 10 the motorist becomes more tolerrant! Now that means nothing as it is legal.

[Wolf Lyle]

RIP

[GoLefty!!]

PPA allowing a “new law” that vehicles may now overtake on a solid barrier line - this came into effect when the 1 (PPA wanted 1.5m) meter law (prior to that it was not legal) was passed that PPA was trying to achieve. After now looking at page 1 of the tread of the accident scene - yup it’s a solid barrier line!!! PPA what have you done to cyclist road safety?? PPA bringing / allowing this new 1 meter law in to the government gazette and allowing the concession that now motorist may legally overtake a cyclist on a solid Barrier line have made the road less safe to what they use to be for cyclist - my oppnion!

 

The rule of the road in the past was quite simple don’t overtake a vehicle on a solid barrier line - PPA have now allowed this to be less simple!!!!

 

 

Hold on the law allowing overtaking across a solid line has always been there to allow motorists to pass broken down vehicles or stopped busses/taxis. Its just been expanded to allow a motorist to pass a cyclist by a margin of no less than 1m WHEN SAFE TO DO SO.

 

I agree with you the law was not written with cyclists best intent but that's a provincial government failure not PPA as its not the law that was lobbied for. AFAIK PPA continues to lobby for a great passing margin.

 

The way the law was written is a provincial government cop out plain and simple

[Icycling]

Hold on the law allowing overtaking across a solid line has always been there to allow motorists to pass broken down vehicles or stopped busses/taxis. Its just been expanded to allow a motorist to pass a cyclist by a margin of no less than 1m WHEN SAFE TO DO SO.

 

I agree with you the law was not written with cyclists best intent but that's a provincial government failure not PPA as its not the law that was lobbied for. AFAIK PPA continues to lobby for a great passing margin.

 

The way the law was written is a provincial government cop out plain and simple

This is a great passing option (pic below) - almost in a separate lane!!! But please explain why you choose the word pass as a posed to overtaking - what is the legal distinction  - and do you overtake a cyclist (I hope you do) or do you pass a cyclist?

 

I quite like the new slogan by PPA and that is stay wider of the rider!!!!

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/documents/digitalasset/dg_070531.jpg

 

You blaming provincial goverment - but I blame PPA for asking for a distance of 1.5m - granted 1meter, but not considering and lobbing for other road rules to remain the same - THAT is not PPA looking out for cyclist - that’s PPA EGO trying to say - LOOK we got a 1 meter law passed but my question is at what cost??? The cost is throwing traditional laws out the window (in this case don’t cross a solid barrier line (there use to be a fine of R1000 per wheel if you did as a motorist)  which in term have made the roads less safe for cyclist!!!

Edited February 17, 2015 by Icycling

[BarHugger]

So heart braking and unnecessary. RIP.

 

A family and friends are now shattered........who will be held accountable?

[Jakes9.9]

RIP. Does anyone know who the guy was ? Very sad.

[Albatross]

RIP rider

Is it possible PPA could put a safety talk / info power point presentation together highlighting the new legislation so that those of us who start our meetings with safety talks can educate our fellow workers. Just a short poppy presentation, it could save a life.

[mazambaan]

This is very sad.  But I don't PPA are to blame. If the MyCiti drivers are bad ex- taxi drivers and there is evidence of this it should go to PPA and they should use "their" funds to make sure the driver is prosecuted and, ideally, does jail time.

 

In parallel, PPA should send a delegation to the CT officials, with the gathered evidence and try get internal training and disciplinary processes going.

 

In my view, taxi drivers are not fussed about painted lines and awareness campaigns.

[carbon29er]

from what time and where in Camps Bay is the start

Enter here:

https://online.entries.co.za/entries/findperson.aspx?eid=3343

[carbon29er]

How about a show of solidarity for those who have lost their lives while cycling by wearing black armbands on ARGUS day

 

May our brother in lycra RIP and his family be comforted during this time

Far more effective would be to wear the Stay wider of the rider cycling shirt. There is a 7:01 start group at the Cycle Tour for those riders who applied successfully to join the group AND wear their lumo shirts but every cyclist concerned about cycle safety should wear this shirt when training on the roads.

 

Buy yours here: https://online.entries.co.za/entries/findperson.aspx?eid=3348

[Hackster]

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/biking/city-biking/The-Lawyer-Negotiating-the-Bike-Car-War.html

 

Worth a read, looks at the culpability on both sides.

 

Note, I'm not referring to this specific incident but to the greater issue.

[Batty Boy]

Sad. Condolences to the family.

[carbon29er]

RIP cyclist.

 

But is this not PPA fault? Where this accident happened is it not on a stretch of road where their is a solid white line? If so then PPA has to take some of the blame - why? Well when they got the 1 meter law passed they allowed a concession that now motorist may over take on a solid white line (cross the barrier line) well thats how I see it. So assuming the car / bus went over the line to overtake the cyclist - then saw a truck and swerved towards the pavement taking the cyclist down! This was not what we as cyclist ask for - PPA to have made roads now even less safe for cyclist by creating a whole new set of rules with regards to bicycles - lets face it most motorist cannot even obey the 1st set of rules - to have a second set for cyclist is just F..K ridicules - all we need was that motorist obey the traffic laws esp when regards to over taking other vehicles - cyclist are regarded as vehicles on SA roads! I have assumed quite a lot above but one may well find my assumptions are more than 50% correct!

I find these comments ill informed and almost offensive to me personally as Chairman of the PPA Safe Cycling Imitative. Particularly as they get wheeled out regularly by you to belittle the efforts being made to promote safe cycling.

 

The facts of the accident are unknown at this time but it appears the incident was caused by a myciti bus not respecting the 1m law and forcing the cyclist into the pavement where he fell and was driven over by a following truck.

 

The law in the Western Cape is quite clear:

1. The driver of a motor vehicle who passes a cyclist on a public road must—

(a) exercise due care while passing the cyclist;

(b) leave a distance between the motor vehicle and the cyclist of at least one metre; and

© maintain that distance from the cyclist until safely clear of the cyclist.

 

I think it’s fair to say that the bus driver failed to comply with this section and this caused the accident.

 

The rest of the section you quote:

(2) Despite any solid barrier line or other road traffic sign prohibiting encroachment upon the right-hand side of the road, the driver of a motor

vehicle on a public road may, where the roadway is not wide enough to comply with sub regulation (1)(b) or © when passing a cyclist,

encroach on that part of the road to his or her right, but only if—

a) it can be done without obstructing or endangering other persons or vehicles;

 

has no relevance to this accident and in this case (on what is known) any “solid line” or “oncoming traffic” cannot be used as a defence for encroaching on the one metre bubble that should exist around the cyclist. This is the reason this was added to the legislation I would imagine.

 

PPA has made significant progress in promoting safe cycling but every death reminds us it’s still not enough.  To think PPA allowed the law to be passed is just ludicrous, they lobbied extensively for a 1.5m law but 1m was passed.

 

Rather than sitting on the sidelines criticising, why not join the cycling community in promoting the #staywider campaign, join the Awareness Ride on February 28 and wear the #staywider jersey when you train?